Agesilaus and Pompey. Pelopidas and Marcellus

Lives

by Plutarch, Bernadotte Perrin (Translator)

Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45–120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.

Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch’s many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics, and religion.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Lives is in eleven volumes.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 100

About the author

Plutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.

Reviews

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four more fascinating lives from the excellent Plutarch. Pelopidas, before a battle with the Spartans, dreams that he is supposed to sacrifice a brunette. He finds this harsh, but takes it to his advisors, and they argue back and forth about it for some time. I was surprised that human sacrifice was still on the table (ha ha) at that late date.

This volume also has the siege of Syracuse, and the murder of Archimedes. If he had not been somewhere on the spectrum he might have made it.

Pompey led an incomparable life, although Plutarch points out that it was all downhill after 40, and that when it comes to his character, he'd get a much better grade if he had died then. I can't disagree much, but I do think it was pretty cool that he trained with his troops when preparing for war with Caesar; I would have been one of those flocking to the camp to see old Pompey throwing the javelin and running and whatever else Roman soldiers did.

[Michal Paszkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good read for a book I expected to be quite dry. I particularly enjoyed reading about Pompey and Marcellus, who had very interesting lives and have changed the course of history on a truly massive scale.